Moments
by thegreatcaswinchester
Summary: A collection of shorts taking place in the Dragon Age universe. Not neccessarily connected, with various characters. Will be updating rather rapidly or whenever strikes my fancy.
1. Corruption

Okay, this is just a quick short about Wesley, in his last moments. The only spoilers are for the beginning of the game. Please review and critique, as I am trying to improve my writing and anything would be much appreciated. Enjoy!

Usual disclaimers apply: I don't own any of the characters, or any small but amazing part of the dragon age universe. Alas! That honor belongs to hte good folk of Bioware, who have graciously rewarded us with this incredible game that I am an unashamed fangirl of. *Cough* But, I digress. Enjoy the short!

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><p>When Wesley had come to Ostagar to find his wife, he did not expect to be cornered in a hopeless battle with the darkspawn outside of Lothering. The village was helpless, with only a few straggling soldiers. The Templars had apparently abandoned the place along with the Chantry priests. He also hadn't been expecting to have his sword arm horribly wounded, or to have his life saved by two apostates, a young warrior, and an old woman.<p>

But the day was still young.

His dear Aveline had convinced him to forge a temporary truce with the older apostate, who turned out to have a sense of humor at his expense. _Apostates, you can never know what they're planning. I'll show youy terrible wrath when we're out of this mess._ But the situation was now so much more desperate. With the Korcari Wilds as the only escape, how could they possibly hope to survive?

Now Wesley could feel the corruption burning in his veins, the black blood of the darkspawn tainting him, a special pain he'd never felt anywhere else. He kept quiet, watching as his brave wife fought alongside apostates to carve a path through the darkspawn. _Oh Aveline, my love, I'm so sorry._

The Templar looked down at his hands, at the veins turning black as the taint worked its way up through his body, killing him from the inside. And the situation was getting no better. He had to watch as the younger apostate sacrificed herself in an attempt to save her mother. His wife, the warrior boy, and the older apostate desperately fought the ogre, barely coming out alive. But he corruption had greatly weakened this Templar, and when the shape shifting dragon swooped in, he couldn't stand any longer. Aveline caught him just before he hit the ground, leaving the apostate to converse with the witch. Wesley closed his eyes and winced. Maker, this _hurt_. His vision was fogging over. His wife's beautiful face swam in and out of focus as she sat over him, concern and grief written clearly in her eyes.

The old woman looked with concern at Wesley. "What's been done to your man is in his blood already," she softly said to Aveline.

"No! You lie!" Aveline looked at him with tear-glazed eyes. "Not you. They won't have you."

It hurt to speak, but he did his best to manage, "Please, love. The corruption is a slow death…I can't…"

The apostate girl looked sadly at Aveline and Wesley. "There must be some way to help him," she cast hopelessly to the witch.

"The only cure I know of is to become a Grey Warden."

Aveline angrily replied, "And those all died at Ostagar."

The old woman had a gleam in her eye as she said, "Not all, but the last are now out of your reach."

Wesley closed his eyes and clenched his teeth, gasping, "Please…"

The apostate knelt beside him, "Aveline…I'm sorry, but we must. I'll do it for you. I don't want to ever know what its like to put the blade to someone I love, and you shouldn't have to." Aveline bent and kissed Wesley's lips, murmuring sad goodbyes meant only for his ears. Then the apostate and Wesley were left alone.

"Thank you," he managed.

"I'm sorry it had to be this way. You seemed like a good man, for a Templar. Goodbye, Ser Wesley." Then she plunged the blade into his heart.

_You seem like a good woman, for an apostate. Goodbye, serah._


	2. It's An Adventure!

A really short, fun little piece on adventures. As usual, critiques and reviews are much appreciated, and enjoy!

Usual disclaimers: I do not own Dragon Age or anything associated with it. Bioware does. *Sigh*

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><p>Hawke walked into the Hanged Man, a big smile on her face when she saw Varric. "Varric! It's time for an adventure!"<p>

Varric groaned. "What is it this time, Hawke?" He'd known the woman for years, and her idea of an adventure was sometimes…questionable.

"Why do you groan unhappily whenever I say that? We're just going to be collecting some ingredients for Anders to make a potion with. Nothing bad." She put on a look of utter innocence, and Varric couldn't help but grudgingly agree to go with her.

"Alright, let's go be adventurers!"

Several hours later, combing through the sewers for sela petrae, a mixture of shit and piss of all things, Varric gave Hawke a glare. "This, Hawke is why I groan whenever you come in exclaiming that we have an adventure. I mean, who calls combing through the sewers knee-deep in shit and piss an adventure?"

Hawke looked at him with a gleam in her eye. "And its only the morning. We're off to a great start!"

Varric stared wide-eyed after her as she walked away, wondering what in the world could be worse than this. "Andraste's tits, Hawke," he murmured, "why do I still put up with this?" The dwarf trudged through the sewers after his friend, dreading what else she had in store for him.

_Blast, Bianca's got crap on her! Curse you and Blondie both!_


	3. The Templar's Daughter

Alrighty, yet another short drabble on a random character who died before we got to know her at all. She only left a letter. So I decided to write up my take on her last thoughts and events of her life. Reviews and critiques are absolutely wanted, and much appreciated. I hope you enjoy, and review! Oh, and I'm sorry if I got the Rian guy's name wrong. I couldn't remember very well.

Disclaimers: I do not own any characters, setting, etc. in the Dragon Age universe, Bioware does. Yay for them!

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><p>The mage woman reached up to wipe tears from her eyes before they fell onto the words '…and a mage. It is oddly freeing to write the word.'. She had to be strong, or she knew she couldn't do this. Ever since she was seven years old her father had protected her from the Templars, from his own order. But she wouldn't make him do that any longer. She was 19 now, and it was time to release him of this burden, to keep anyone from finding out his…shame.<p>

He had made so many sacrifices. Made deals with mages, gone against the rules of the Chantry, blatantly defied Knight-Commander Meredith, all to protect her from the very thing he represented.

To keep her out of the Circle, and out of the Templars clutches.

And yet, he'd never fully been able to reconcile what she was with what he stood for. There was always a lingering doubt about whether he did the right thing, about whether his daughter was the evil that they all told him mages were…or if she was the daughter he had raised and loved.

She wiped her eyes and folded the paper, tucking it into her robe. She'd find someone to deliver it for her. But Rian was coming, and it was time to go. Samson said this guy could get her out of here. She could only hope he was right. This waiting was driving her crazy.

The door behind her opened, but instead of Rian or Samson there were several armed men that she didn't know. They grabbed her arms gruffly, and her heart quailed. "You're coming with us. Don't fight back, dearie." She saw their swords, and a few with staves. All the fight left her body, and they took her to a warehouse on the docks. They pushed her roughly into a room, saying, "Stay here. And don't try to escape."

The mage girl put her face in her hands, quiet sobs escaping between her lips. A soft voice came to her from the corner. "Hey, it'll be alright." She looked up to see a human man, not much older than herself. His ears were slightly pointed, and his features reminded her of the elves she'd seen in Kirkwall. At her silence, he said, "Well, it probably won't be. But it never hurts to hope, right?"

She sniffled and looked at him. "Why are you here?"

"Trying to stay out of the Circle. I went to some guy named Samson, and he recommended Rian. And now…here I am." His eyes were downcast. "What about you?"

The girl was surprised by his willingness to share. He either knew she was a mage, or he really thought this entire thing was hopeless. She sighed. "Pretty much the same."

They sat in pensive silence until some of the men came in, taking the boy away. She wondered what would become of him. But there was no use dwelling on that. They were coming for her now.

"Come on. The Templars will give us a big reward for turning you in."

The girl backed into the corner, tears in her eyes. "No, please! Someone, help me!" The men just laughed. But a voice whispered to her. Deep and guttural, almost feral. _Let me in. I'll get rid of them all for you, then you'll be able to be free. Just let me in. _She closed her eyes, accepting the offer.

_I'm sorry, father. I'll always love you. I hope somehow you get my letter._

_Olivia_


	4. Thoughts on the Amells

Just a short on my favorite templar, reminising about Amell women, namely the mages, after the battle with the Arishok. In a dark corner of a tavern, of course. Where else? Review, critique, and as always, enjoy!

Disclaimer: DO not own any of the Dragon age universe, Biwoare does.

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><p>Knight-Captain Cullen sat in the tavern, attempting to blend into the shadows. It simply wouldn't do for Meredith to know one of her Templars were sitting in a tavern drinking themselves under the table. But frankly, after all that business with the Qunari, he figured that he deserved a night off.<p>

That apostate, Hawke, was now the Champion of Kirkwall. He couldn't help but reminisce on another Amell mage he'd known who had gone on to become a hero. His days in the tower had been brightened because of her. Her smile brought the sun into a stuffy, closed off tower. Her laugh was a breath of fresh air, a spring breeze wafting through the cramped hallways. When her eyes flashed she seemed to cut through the Templars oppressing presence, telling them that they would never have this mage under control. And Cullen, the hopeless fool that he was, fell head-over-heels in love with her, even though he knew he could never have her.

He remembered the night of her Harrowing. Greagoir had approached him, ordering him to be in the Harrowing chamber as the one who would strike down a mage if she became an abomination. Cullen didn't know it would be _her_. When she had walked into the chamber his heart had dropped below the tower's borders, floundering for air in Lake Calenhad. That excruciating time waiting, hands shaking as he thought of what she might become. But then she came back, so quickly, and still completely herself. He couldn't help but thank the Maker.

And that Jowan. That accursed, blood mage. Blight take the bastard, Cullen thought bitterly. He tricked her into helping him escape, then left her behind to the wrath of Greagoir. Luckily, Duncan had been there to save her and bring her to the Grey Wardens. But Cullen, he probably would never see her again.

Weeks, perhaps months later Uldred went crazy, dooming the tower and locking Cullen up to be tortured by demons. All those visions, his desires, flaunted before him. Until she'd actually come along, and he confessed how much he wanted her, but she didn't go away like before. Instead she freed Cullen. But by then she was with that other Warden, Alistair. Never to be his.

Cullen drew himself back to the tavern, nursing his ale. This Hawke was a good woman, a lot like his Telandra Amell. They were both heroes in their own right and scope. Cullen silently toasted to the both of them.

_Amells. Can't live with them, and too many people would be dead without them. A toast to you all._


End file.
